Tyson Fury recalls using Dillian Whyte ‘as a punching bag’ in training sessions

The Britons, who face off for the WBC heavyweight title in April, are former sparring partners

Tyson Fury has said he “used” Dillian Whyte as a “punching bag” during their time as sparring partners.

WBC heavyweight champion Fury defends his title against Whyte at Wembley Stadium on 23 April, and the two Britons know one another well from their time training together.

The undefeated Fury, 33, has said he will take confidence from those sessions as he prepares for this huge clash with Whyte, also 33.

“I’ve sparred Dillian Whyte many, many times, and every single time I’ve used him as a punching bag,” Fury said in a BT Sport interview.

“There were times when he couldn’t defend himself. There were times where we had to stop the sparring.”

Fury’s take on those sparring sessions differs from Whyte’s, per Boxing Scene, with the “Bodysnatcher” having said last year: “I don’t like telling sparring stories, but people in the game know, they know about me.

“Well, me and Tyson Fury sparred, and I bashed him about and dropped him on multiple occasions. Simple as that.”

Fury dismissed those suggestions, though, telling BT Sport: “There’s no substance to it, knocking me down umpteenth times and all that.

Tyson Fury took part in a press conference without Dillian Whyte present (Getty Images)

“Just say he did knock me down eight times in sparring – just say eight – we all know sparring ain’t fighting, is it?

“How many times have you seen people in the gym get absolutely busted up, and on fight night they box like ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard?

“Sometimes you don’t have good days in the gym, bad days, whatever – but sparring ain’t fighting. Just for the record, he never knocked me down once, and I’ve never been knocked down in sparring ever.

“I believe sparring is more like an exercise to practise what you’re gonna do in the real fight. It doesn’t matter if you get it wrong 100 times in the gym, as long as you get it right one time on the night.”

Fury (31-0-1, 22 knockouts) last fought in October, stopping Deontay Wilder for the second bout in a row to round out the rivals’ trilogy and retain the WBC belt.

Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs), meanwhile, last competed in March 2021, knocking out Alexander Povetkin to avenge his own stoppage defeat by the Russian from August 2020.